


A Sister's Duty

by Token_Geek



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: But she grows up, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mutant OC, No Underage Sex, Polygamy, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Underage Stripper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2020-03-31 00:05:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19038307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Token_Geek/pseuds/Token_Geek
Summary: She's been on the run for years, a survivor of a massacre; her only purpose is taking care of her baby brother as her mother begged her to in her last moments. Her life was just starting to get better when the past forces her to leave again this time unbeknownst to her abandoning one of her soulmates. When they meet again he is not going to let her past take her away again and as more of your soulmates find her she learns how to trust others and learns how to actually live.





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dana meets someone unexpected at work.

            It started off as any normal day. Dana grabbed Robbie’s school bag and turned around to get him an apple juice. Robbie was sitting on his booster chair at the table, happily eating his breakfast while talking about anything that popped in his clever little head. Dana hummed in acknowledgment, prompting Robbie to continue babbling.

 

            Dana tried to salvage something for her breakfast, but she couldn’t. She only had enough for Robbie’s dinner tonight and maybe if she got lucky, a little bit for herself. She would just have to eat a lot at school today. Maybe steal a waffle, one of the guys working the café always ‘forgot’ to charge her for lunch.

 

            “Sissy,” Dana turned to him, shaking off her hunger, giving her little brother her full attention away from covering up the only mark that wasn’t hidden by her hair or clothes. “What is that drawing around your hand? Is it a tattoo like Mr. Robinson’s? He says it hurts a lot to get one.”

 

            Dana smiled softly, knowing this day would come eventually. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t prepared for it.

 

            “Well, Robbie, this is my soulmate’s mark. It looks like a snake doesn’t it? One day you’ll have a mark too. I think I got mine when I was ten.”

 

            “Does it hurt?” Robbie asked.

 

            “Well,” Dana thought about it for a second. “It feels very warm, and sometimes it stings but only for a little while.”

 

            “Why does it look like a snake?”

 

            “I don’t know, every mark is different but maybe my soulmate likes snakes? Maybe he works at a zoo, wouldn’t that be cool? Now let’s get your bag all packed up so we can get you to school.”

 

            Robbie started kindergarten this year and Dana was so relieved that she didn’t have to pay for daycare anymore. It also gave Robbie the chance to meet so many more kids and to be mentally stimulated, which she suspected was not really happening at daycare. Dana realized that Robbie was so smart, too.

 

            Robbie hopped out of his seat without a fuss and grabbed his homework folder. Dana grabbed Robbie’s extra clothes, water bottle, and lunch and shoved it in his backpack. She also grabbed her backpack and gave her wrist one final look over to make sure she covered it completely then locked her apartment up and started the short walk to her little brother’s school.

 

            “What’s a soulmate?” Robbie asked as soon as he grabbed her hand.

 

            Dana stopped to think about it. “It’s the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with. The person you’re supposed to love and marry.”

 

            It was Robbie’s turn to think. “So when do you meet him?”

 

            Dana shook her head. “You meet them when you meet them, there isn’t a special time for it, and soulmates can be anyone.”

 

            “Why do you cover it up?”

 

            “Because I don’t like strangers staring at it. When I meet my soulmate I want to like him for him and not because of our marks.”

 

            Robbie nodded his head like he understood; his face passive as if he was having a deep thought.

 

            “So would that make him my daddy or brother?”

 

            “Well, I’m your sister so any man I marry would become your brother.”

 

            “Really?! I want a brother!”

 

            Dana laughed softly, ignoring the pain in her heart. “We’ll see, buddy. We’ll see.”

 

            They made it to Robbie’s school and he clapped excitedly. Dana was lucky this was a good day. On bad days, Robbie would cry and scream and cling to Dana with abandon. Some days Dana couldn’t even leave Robbie, she would have to sit with him for hours and console him. Which made working impossible on those days but Dana would never hold it against her baby brother.

 

            Today Robbie went willingly, grabbing his backpack and toddling into the school. “Bye, Sissy!” He shouted behind him, disappearing into the building.

 

            Dana sighed softly, walking to a nearby and thankfully empty park. She rubbed her eyes for a brief second of peace, a second where her mind wasn’t running through every possible scenario or screaming at her. Glancing down at her left wrist, she caressed the serpent that lay hidden underneath the makeup, careful not to smudge it. Explaining soulmates was easy; a person normally only had one, sometimes two, last she checked the known record was three and there are only two cases of that happening in history. So how was she ever going to explain to her sweet baby brother that his Sissy was a whore with _seven_ marks?

 

            There was the serpent on her wrist that the few people who have seen it assumed was her only one, but there was also a cog in the center of her chest, a DNA helix over her heart, a star over her right lung, another star on her upper left arm – god she hoped they weren’t twins that would be even more awkward, – a lightning bolt below her navel, and some kind of stick with a snake wrapped around on the back of her neck.

 

            She had no idea who they could be; the marks were supposed to symbolize something about them, usually their career or a hobby but could be anything related to that person. She remembered Robbie’s dad had a musical note on his bicep but her mom wasn’t a singer except for when she was in the shower, or making breakfast, or just fighting the silence; her mom hated silence.

 

            Dana was thankful it was Friday because that meant the club would be packed which meant if she was good tonight she’d hopefully make enough money to cover groceries for the next week or two after bills were paid and if she was _really_ good maybe some new clothes for Robbie since he was starting to grow out of his.

 

            Dana managed to make her way to her school’s student union with twenty minutes to spare before class started. Thankfully luck was on her side today and her favorite employee greeted her from behind the counter when she entered the café. She snagged a muffin and small fruit bowl along with a bottle of water and quickly made her way to the cash register.

 

            “Good morning,” Josh, a veteran in his fifties greeted as he scanned and bagged the items. “How are you doing today?”

 

            “Pretty good, I’ve been studying for midterms,” she told him. _Always keep answers simple_.

 

            “Already? Exams are still a month away,” Josh handed over the bag and waved her away. “Have a good day!”

 

            “You too!”

 

* * *

 

 

           Today was the luckiest Friday ever for Dana; her last class – English – was canceled which gave her an extra few days to edit her report that she had to rush to write, and on her way to pick up Robbie she found a ten dollar bill on the ground!

 

            “Looks like it’s pizza for dinner!” she said, fist pumping the air. Pizza was definitely better than cold lunchmeat like she originally had planned.

 

            Robbie happily ate his dinner while sitting in front of the old TV she pulled from the dumpster and fixed up. Dana ate several slices and rushed to take a shower before work. The water was warm at best and the pressure was practically nonexistent but it got her clean so she couldn’t complain. After drying off she applied her makeup to all of her marks, straightened her hair, and dressed up in a black dress and an old brown coat she found at a thrift store.

 

            “What are the rules, Robbie?” she asked her brother as she slipped into a pair of flats, no way in hell was she walking to or from work in heels.

 

            “Don’t answer the door to anyone, keep the lights off and TV down, if someone breaks in hide under the bed and don’t make a sound, and if there’s a fire or if you’re not home by two-thirty go straight to Mr. Robinson’s,” Robbie recited.

 

            “Very good,” she kissed his forehead and grabbed her work bag.

 

            “Be safe, Sissy!” he called to her as she left.

 

            “I will, love you!” Dana closed and locked the door, checked thrice to make it was secure before making her way down three blocks to work.

 

            The Underground Gentlemen’s Club was located right between the poor and rich areas of Malibu; some believed this to be a mistake, after all the average man on the poor side could hardly afford the entrance fee to such a luxurious club. But Dana knew better, with the college nearby and many broken families living in the area there was no shortage of beautiful women desperate for work, and with so many beautiful women it didn’t take long for the men from the rich neighborhoods to come line up.

 

            Which is exactly what Dana arrives to, a long line of men and a few women was already forming around the building, but she ignored that and made her way to the back entrance and knocked on the door. A man who looked like he struggled to bend his arms from all the muscle asked for ID and compared it to his list before allowing her in. You have to be on the list to work, there is no amateur night, and only girls who are pretty and clean are welcomed. It was one of the reasons it was so popular.

 

            She quickly went to the dressing room and slipped out of her dress, leaving her in nothing but dark purple metallic booty shorts that were more like a thong, taking a matching top that had a hood and hardly covered anything out of her bag, she replaced her flats with black heels that made her several inches taller before she left to take the stage just as some new hip hop song started blasting through the speakers.

            The club was busy like any other Friday night, after a few hours, Dana easily made enough to cover another month’s rent and maybe a few days worth of food. _Just a little longer…_ she thought. Just another hour or two and she’d hopefully have enough for a whole week’s worth of food. And then she spotted _him_.

 

            Dom Walters; a rich boy, liked brunettes – maybe she should dye her hair? – And liked playing rough. He bribed her boss into letting him have a few hours with her only to find himself completely unable to function and only able to watch her dance and tease – mostly so he at least got something out of it – but rumor was he very upset being dominated by a woman so she made it a point to avoid him at all costs.

 

            Dana was about to cut her loses and leave early when she noticed a familiar face in the back of the club. Mr. Stane was one of her boss’s associates and often liked to enjoy the girls when he visited, this time he brought someone whom she recognized from the news.

 

            Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, a playboy who never had the same girl on his arm twice, looked more uncomfortable than a virgin who hadn’t come out of the closet yet. Dana took a look at Dom and was relieved to see him charming one of the new girls, so when the music ended she quickly left the stage for the bar and grabbed two bottles of water before making her way to a very anxious and now abandoned CEO.

 

* * *

 

            Tony Stark was not about to have a panic attack. More importantly, he was not about to have a panic attack in public in whatever strip joint Obadiah had dragged him to under the idea he needed to leave his mansion for a few hours at least. The only upside was Stane knew the owner and they were able to get in without a public frenzy but that wouldn’t do any good if he started panicking which he wasn’t.

 

            “Here,” and he definitely did not just jump out of his skin right then because a dancer – a very attractive dancer at that – held out a bottle of water to him.

 

            “I don’t like being handed things,” he said and fuck did he croak?

 

            The dancer to her credit didn’t react simply placed the water on the side table for him to grab. And grab he did and jugged half of it down in one go.

 

            “You don’t seem to want to be here,” she said conversationally.

 

            “Didn’t want to leave my house, a friend decided I needed to blow off some steam.”

 

            “Wanna hide in one of the private booths?”

 

            Tony glanced at her. “Depends, what’s in it for you?”

 

            “Nothing really, I’m kind of trying to hide too but I can’t go into the private booths without a guest,” she shrugged.

 

            Tony tried to find Obadiah and saw him talking to another man by the bar; he saw Tony with the dancer and gave a look of approval. Fuck it, maybe this way he’ll get off his back for a bit.

 

            “Lead the way.”

 

            The private booth was comfortably large and the thick dark curtain muffled out a lot of the noise of the club. Tony collapsed into the oval couch and chugged the rest of his water, he looked over to see his companion take off her heels – and damn they should be a registered weapon! – And joined him on the couch, respectfully on the other side.

 

            Nothing was said for several minutes; Tony could feel his heart rate even out and decided now was a good time to talk without a filter.

 

            “So let me guess, med school?”

 

            “Nope,” the dancer – he really needed to get her name – said popping the ‘p’. “Community college, Computer Science and some Criminal Justice.”

 

            “Interesting, you going to transfer afterward?” This is probably the longest he talked to someone wearing so little clothes that he wasn’t trying to charm her out of.

 

            “Hopefully, if I can get a scholarship or something, this job is the only one I have and it barely pays rent and feeding two mouths.”

 

            “Child?”

 

            “Brother,” why was she telling a stranger that she didn’t know.

 

            “Okay, one more question because I’ve been calling you the dancer in my head all this time, what is your name?” he threw his empty bottle into the recycling can. “Real or stripper.”

 

            “My official club name is Belladonna hence the purple, but some of the other girls call me Unique. Can you guess why?”

 

            Tony stared at her for a moment. Hair looked normal – he did wonder if it was as soft as it looked – her eyes were a normal shade of green kind of like fresh cut grass, her skin looked clear-.

 

            “You don’t have any marks,” he said in wonder. “Most marks are on the arms or chest, somewhere that’s normally visible, is it on your hip?”

 

            “No,” Belladonna giggled. “It’s very noticeable but I have it covered up.”

 

            “Makeup can’t cover up marks, it just bleeds through.”

 

            “I made my own. It’s not perfect but it works better than anything you can find in a store.”

 

            “Really?” the possibilities ran through his head. The biggest issue against soulmate abuse was ‘traditionalists’ tracking down victims by their mark and forcing them back to their abuser, but if it was possible to cover up marks… “What are you doing tomorrow- today? Is it morning yet? It feels like morning, maybe we should get breakfast and talk-”

 

            “Talk about what?” Belladonna asked. She didn’t look weird out or annoyed by his rambling which was a plus, not many people can handle his constant talking right away.

 

            “A job. Well, a better job. How about you meet me for breakfast and we’ll go over your miracle cover up? You can bring your brother too, I’m good with kids don’t let the media fool you.”

 

            “You… don’t even know who I am.”

 

            “I know you are probably the most intelligent stripper I’ve talked to in all my life and you’ve potentially created something that could save many lives and I’m not above bribing beautiful women to get what I want – that sounded less perverted in my head – but seriously, have breakfast with me and at least think it over.”

 

            “Okay, but how would we meet?” she asked. “I can’t afford a cell phone and no way in hell am I showing you where I live.”

 

            “I can drop you off somewhere near your place and you can meet me there-” Tony glanced at his phone which read one in the morning. “At about nine o’clock.”

 

            “Deal. Meet me outside, if the owner sees me leave with a guest he’ll raise hell. And Mr. Stark?”

 

            “Tony.”

 

            “Dana.”

 

            “What?”

 

            “My name is Dana, Dana Freeborn,” she told him.

 

            “… Your parents were hippies weren’t they?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As referenced in the tags Dana is technically underage (like 16/17 years old) at this point in time but there is no underage sex and neither Tony Stark or any of her other soulmates are pedophiles. I will probably add tags and pairings as the story progresses.
> 
> I have no idea how strip clubs work other than apparently, you have to pay to work?! Like what the fuck?
> 
> Josh was based on an actual cafe worker who was so kind enough to let me have a free lunch every other week when he knew I hadn't had time to cash my paycheck yet.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets with Dana and learns something unexpected.

            Dana was anxious. She hardly slept for four hours before she rushed around the apartment looking for decent looking clothes for her and Robbie to wear. In the end, she caved and let her brother wear his favorite Jurassic Park t-shirt with a pair of jeans while she tried to find something that looked professional but didn’t scream desperation even if she kind of was and settled on black slacks and a white blouse that she didn’t remember buying.

            Now they were standing on the corner just a block away from the apartment where Tony Stark dropped her off earlier and was supposed to pick them up any moment now. 

 

            “Sissy?” she looked down at her brother who nervously rocked back and forth on his heels. “Is Mr. Stark your soulmate?”

 

            “I don’t think so Bud, why?” Dana tilted her head.

 

            “You never talk about or go see anyone from work.”

 

            “T-that’s because… well…” _They are not the kind of people I want to be friends with._ “Everyone at work is very busy in the day, and Mr. Stark doesn’t work there he was just visiting.”

 

            “Oh,” that seemed to satisfy him and he resumed rocking.

 

            Thankfully Dana was spared any more awkward topics when a black Rolls Royce pulled up and a familiar face popped out the driver side window. Tony Stark looked like got less sleep than Dana which was true, he was up the rest of the early morning running background checks and semi-fighting Obadiah and Pepper.

 

_“When I said you needed to blow off some steam Tony I meant have a few drinks, get a few dances, not actually leave with a stripper!” Obadiah said taking a swig of scotch._

 

_“Nothing happened,” he assured him not really looking up from his work. “She just saw someone she didn’t want to run into and it was cold so I drove her near her apartment. I didn’t actually see or go in it. And before you ask, nothing happened in my car either.”_

 

_“Tony, do you seriously think an exotic dancer could figure out something the companies scientists haven’t been able to?” Pepper came to him with a deadpan expression she saved for when she thought he was doing something foolish._

 

_“I think she would have better motivation than a scientist who doesn’t have to worry about a stranger killing them because they saw their mark and got angry.”_

 

            How many times had the news reported a stripper being assaulted or even murdered by a soulmate they never met before because of what they were doing to survive? Necessity is the mother of invention so they say.

 

            “Good morning,” he greeted, noticing a small child hiding behind her legs.

 

            “Good morning, Mr. Stark,” Dana smiled before turning to look at her brother. “Robbie, what do we say?”

 

            Robbie peaked out and shyly waved to the man. “Good morning, it’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Stark.”

 

            Tony smiled and was suddenly thankful Happy had the sense to put a booster seat in the car when he learned his boss’s plans; he never even considered how young Dana’s brother could be.

 

            “It’s nice to meet you too kid, now I promised breakfast so how about you two hop in and we go find the best pancakes in the world?”

 

            The promise of pancakes was enough to get Robbie jumping with excitement and he allowed his sister to strap him into the booster seat while she contemplated sitting in the back with him or up front with Tony. In the end, he made the decision for her by asking her to sit beside him so they could talk while he drove.

 

            “I brought some of the makeup with me,” Dana told him, nervous and not sure what to say. “I can show you how it works after breakfast.”

 

            “Great,” Tony said, keeping his eyes on the road, he had a child in the car after all. “And maybe you can tell me how you managed to do something scientists still say is impossible.”

 

            “Believe it or not Mr. Stark, there are a lot of scientists and people with scientists in their pockets who don’t want it to be possible.”

 

            He knew it already but still the idea that supposedly smart people who swore to help the public would be so closed minded pissed him off. The idea that you were forced to stay in a relationship simply because of a mark even if your mate was abusive or you found love in someone else was idiotic and in some cases inhumane. The Bonds United group was the worst of it all, those jackasses had people hunting down runaways and forcing them back to their mate, and it was all perfectly legal.

 

            Tony swore if this turned out to be the real deal he’d use all the money from it to help victims and fight back against the traditionalists.

 

            He was brought out of his dark thoughts when they arrived at a diner he frequented because like he said they had the best pancakes and he was rarely bothered when he eating which was a plus because who wants to answer dumbass questions when eating chicken and waffles? He parked in front and waited patiently for Dana to get her brother out of the car before they both went in.

 

            “Two adults,” he told the hostess, a nice middle-aged woman who may be living under a rock because it took several visits before she recognized him. “And a munchkin.” He added glancing down at Robbie.

 

            “I’m not a munchkin,” the boy pouted which made the hostess chuckle before she led them to a table in a relatively empty section.

 

            They placed their ordered and Tony waited until they were alone before turning back to the conversation. “So how exactly did you come up with it, then?”

 

            “It was actually my mother who made before I was even born,” She spared a glance at Robbie who was busy coloring on a kids coloring page the hostess gave him. “She was a chemist before she met her soulmate and he forced her to quit to be his housewife.”

 

            “Did she leave him?”

 

            “Impossible in those days I’m sure you know, especially since her mark was clearly visible on her neck.”

 

            Their orders arrived and Robbie immediately dived into his plate of pancakes with strawberries and chocolate chips, Dana snorted and showed more control eating her big omelet, Tony outright laughed and sipped his coffee before taking a bite out of his waffle. They started talking about random topics and after they were finished with breakfast Tony invited them to his Malibu house where he had a lab and could look over the cover-up in private. Also, some patrons were starting to stare and it was annoying.

 

            Back into the car and a peaceful drive later they arrived at a beautiful mansion overlooking the ocean. Robbie stared at the massive house in awe and even Dana was speechless.

 

            “JARVIS, I’m home!” Tony called out as soon as they entered. The windows automatically brightened allowing the sun to seep through.

 

            “Welcome Sir,” spoke a British voice, causing Sir’s guest to jump.

 

            “Who’s that?” Robbie asked.

 

            “That is JARVIS; he’s an AI – like a very smart computer but he acts more human than a lot of humans I know.”

 

            “Thank you, Sir.”

 

            “Wow… neat,” Robbie glanced around in wonder.

 

            “Robbie, me and Mr. Stark are going to be having a long a boring adult talk so what do you want to do for fun?” Dana asked.

 

            “Puzzles!” the little boy exclaimed. “I’m very good at puzzles.”

 

            Tony showed him a tablet which had a lot of puzzle games that JARVIS would keep an eye on so he didn’t get frustrated at the more complicated ones, after that he and Dana moved into the kitchen where she took out a small container with what looked like regular foundation on it and a clean sponge as well as the ingredient list and instructions on how to make it, written in her mother’s hand.

 

            “And this is all you use to cover up your mark?” Tony asked as he examined the contents while glancing at the list. It was complicated enough that an average person wouldn’t have come up with it but simple enough that scientists should have a long time ago. “Can I see you use it?”

 

            “Alright,” she started unbuttoning the top of her blouse.

 

            “Ah or maybe I could try it so you don’t have to strip – not that you aren’t attractive but I’m trying to be a gentleman-”

 

            “I’m not taking my shirt off Tony, my mark is on my chest and I’m pretty sure the shade is a little light for you,” Dana sighed; thankfully she covered the one over her heart so the cog was the only one visible, maybe she should have chosen the snake instead.

 

            Tony was staring, at her chest, but not _at_ her chest, what was on her chest and he felt his own chest constrict. A single cog laid almost in the exact same spot the arc reactor was – or would if he was a woman and had breasts but that would have made his time in captivity much more complicated and wow he has never been more thankful to be born with a penis – but that simple little mark called out to him like a siren and Dana was suddenly staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

            “See something you like?”

 

            “That… wasn’t there yesterday.”

 

            “No. and in a minute it won’t be there again,” she gently dabbed the sponge into the foundation and carefully blended it into her skin, almost instantly the cog was covered and Tony had to fight the urge to wash the makeup away, when she was finished it was as if it was never there.

 

            “Amazing,” was all he could say. Fuck he needed to get his head together. “I need to make a quick phone call, help yourself to a drink and I think there might be some juice in the fridge for the pipsqueak.”

 

            Tony rushed as fast as he could without actually running and locked himself in his bedroom. _Shit, shit, fuck, shit…_ he paced the way to the bed from the door and back several times before cutting halfway and standing in front of a full-size mirror. Lifting his shirt he caught sight of a scale on top of his waist with a roman numeral seven being balanced. He had it since he was nine and Howard Stark damn near disowned him when he discovered it because the roman numerals meant his soulmate had others besides him and Stark men don’t share. Maria learned that the hard way.

 

            “JARVIS,” he breathed out, gently touching his mark. “Call Pepper, please.”

 

            His ever faithful assistant and really she deserved a raise for putting up with him answered after the second ring.

 

            **“Yes, Tony?”**

 

            “Pepper, how has your day been?” and he was deflecting already.

 

            **“Tony what happened?”** and of course Pepper wasn’t buying it either. **“You were supposed to be meeting with your new ‘friend’ please tell me she didn’t drug you up and rob you.”**

 

            “No! no, no,” _How dare she_ \- stop. “Everything is fine, I looked at the cover-up and saw her use it and it _works_ Pepper, it’s like the mark isn’t even there.”

 

            **“That’s great Tony! But… why did you call me? You should be trying to work out a deal for producing it! Or do I need to work out the paperwork for that?”**

 

            “I… think she’s my soulmate Pep.”

 

            **“… Don’t you dare joke about this Tony,”** She sighed and he could just imagine her rubbing her eyes. **“You said that when you slept with that lawyer and she told you, you were her soulmate and then you just went and believed her!”**

 

            “In my defense, I had no idea what it felt like meeting your soulmate so I had no reason not to believe her,” plus her mark looked like a shot glass and he was an alcoholic so the ball was in her court… until she got assigned to her real alcoholic soulmate. “But this is different. I saw her mark and… it just clicked. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do Pepper, I don’t even have the urge to sleep with her I just want to protect her and her little brother.”

 

            **“… Oh god she’s the real deal, isn’t she? Just… just be her friend first Tony, see what kind of woman she is off the stage.”**

 

            Right, friends first, maybe they weren’t even compatible because screw what Bonded United said soulmates sometimes made better friends than lovers.

 

            “Thanks, Pep, I owe you a promotion,” and then he hung up and took a deep breath before exiting his room, he needed a drink- wait no, child present, bad Tony! Dana was sitting at the counter watching Robbie solve puzzles while sipping a bottle of water, he decided to follow her lead and grabbed one himself.

 

            “Phone call went okay?” Dana asked him, noting how he seemed nervous and twitchy.

 

            “My assistant decided to remind me of the boring, tedious parts of running a business, which would be paperwork and contracts, I’ll spare you the details partly because I don’t actually have the paperwork with me which might seem unprofessional but that’s why I have an assistant but what it all comes down to,” he took a deep breath and held up the cover-up. She was amazed he hadn’t passed out yet. “I want to mass produce _this_ , and of course you will get a crap ton of the money generated from it as a partner.”

 

            “Do you treat all your business partners like this?”

 

            “Only the ones I like.”

 

            “Okay,” she chuckled. “I have no idea how business works so I’ll leave it to you to make sure I’m not selling my soul or anything. I do have one request though.”

 

            “Name it,” he said instantly, moving in closer. Her mark was still covered and he was somewhat thankful for that because it made thinking easier.

 

            “I want to name it after my mother, Liberty.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony saves Dana at the club and her miracle cover-up becomes a big hit, but someone is coming for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Trigger warning for unwanted advances and sexual harassment.

            Tony was exhausted. After dropping off Dana and Robbie he called Pepper again with details to add to the contract, spent some time toying with the flight stabilizers for his secret project, and started recreating the cover-up to see if there were any improvements he could make – Dana mentioned it wasn’t waterproof – by the time he returned upstairs the sky already had faint traces of the rising sun.

 

            Grabbing a leftover slice of pizza he turned and noticed the tablet Robbie was playing with was on the couch and grabbed it, before freezing at the screen.

 

            “JARVIS?”

 

            “Yes, Sir?”

 

            “Were you helping the kid solve this one?” he stared at the finished math puzzle that was intended for college-level brains.

 

            “No, Sir. He seemed quite skilled at the simpler mathematics and asked for a more challenging one.”

 

            So the munchkin had a way with numbers, he wondered if Dana knew how smart her brother really was, he’ll have to ask her next time they spoke – which reminded him she seriously needed a phone, especially if they were going to be doing business together – saving the puzzle he plugged it into a charger and decided to try and get at least an hour of sleep if only to pacify Pepper when she came.

* * *

           Dana meanwhile had gotten up early despite working until two in the morning to take Robbie clothes shopping, which she both loathed and looked forward too. She hated having to rely on thrift stores that were always dirty and smelled like cigarettes and beer where creeps ogled her, but she loved Robbie’s face whenever he saw something cool.

 

            Today she managed to find a very nice shirt for picture day, a red shirt with black scratch marks to add to his ever-increasing Jurassic Park collection, and a few pair of shorts. She also got herself one professional looking outfit because apparently, she was going to be a business partner and like hell was she going to embarrass Tony by dressing up a starving borderline homeless stripper, even if she technically was one.

 

            Next, they stopped by a shoe store because she refused to let her little brother wear used shoes, it was expensive, yes but it was where she drew the line.

 

            “Sissy,” Robbie started, as they made their way back home. “Are we going to see Mr. Stark again?”

 

            “Maybe, me and him are going to be working together,” Dana told him. For some reason thinking about Tony made her happy. “Why?”

 

            “I liked him, he was nice. I wish he was your soulmate that way he could be my big brother.”

 

            “That would be amazing wouldn’t it?” she would never have to worry about food ever again, people would look at her with respect maybe even envy instead of pity or lust, and Tony; despite what all the magazines say, was so kind. He would make a great father and husband someday to whoever was lucky enough to have him.

 

            She stopped herself from thinking about it; she had no time for silly fantasies. She forced all thoughts about Tony out of her head and spent the rest of the day studying.

 

            Monday came and went uneventfully and she managed to score an A on her English assignment. Tuesday she woke up early because the couple above their apartment were either trying to kill each or were having some mind-blowing sex, or maybe both, but she and Robbie were used to it and all his questions were answered with a simple “some people are just weird, Robbie, now finish your cereal,” and they even left early to play at the park before school started. Wednesday was a bad day for Robbie who suddenly hated everything about school and absolutely refused to go but at least she had no classes. Thursday Robbie was back to loving his teacher and his new friend Jimmy. By the time Friday hit she was exhausted and debated if it was possible to skip work that night but of course that wouldn’t do they needed all the money she could get.

 

            So she swung her hips and swirled around the pole to the beat of whatever song was playing, she was honestly too tired to pay attention. It was an hour later that her boss called her over.

 

            “Someone is requesting you in booth number one,” he said. Dana nodded and skipped to the private booths. It most likely was a group, possibly a bachelor party which never made any sense to her, and she had to wonder how many of those grooms-to-be were still married.

 

            However, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a different booth – booth number two – and slammed her against the wall. Shock and panic rose in her stomach as she realized who it was.

 

            “Can I help you with something, Mr. Walters?” she asked with disdain.

            “Oh, absolutely,” he breathed against her neck, pushing his groin against hers. She froze at the feeling of his erection pressed against her thigh. “But first Baby, you can show me your mark.”

 

            “My mark is none of your damn business!” she snarled and attempted to shove him away only to have his hand suddenly wrapped around her throat.

 

            “It is if it’s _my_ mark on your body, that’s why you’ve been avoiding me, isn’t it? You saw my mark and recognized it, didn’t you?” he ignored her attempts to remove his hand and gently caressed her leg. “Stubborn bitch, I could’ve taken you away from this life by now…”

 

            He reached the side of her shorts and started pulling them down, more and more of her skin was revealed yet still no mark. Where was it? It had to be somewhere. Unfortunately for him, he would never figure out the truth because a fist connected to his face and send him flying into the couch.

 

            “You know, just because the lady is paid to dance in her underwear doesn’t mean you can treat her like trash!” Tony Stark sneered, his usual sarcastic self gone. He offered Dana his hand which she gratefully took and they left Dom – who suddenly could not move – behind. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

            “I have a guest to see Tony,” Dana coughed a little, her throat sore from being choked.

 

            “That was me, and I say we blow this joint.”

 

            “Let me go change, I’ll meet you out back.”

 

            Tony was reluctant to let her go, especially after she was just attacked but obviously, she couldn’t go out wearing that purple getup that he was going to talk her into burning, because fuck this place and fuck people staring at her like a piece of meat. If he had his way tonight – today? He glanced at his phone which read only ten-thirty, okay so tonight – she wouldn’t need to step foot in this place again. He quickly left through the side entrance and immediately spotted his car, by the time Dana came out in her little black dress and old coat the car was already comfortably cool.

 

            “I almost forgot to thank you, Tony,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat, placing her bag in between her legs and letting out a long sigh as she let herself relax.

 

            “You don’t need to, that guy was an asshole. How often does that happen?” Images of dead girls invaded his mind, how close was she to joining them? Who would take care of Robbie if she died?

 

            “First time believe it or not. I can normally make it so they can’t put their hands on me but Dom got the jump on me.” And then she started to giggle uncontrollably and Tony was worried she might be suffering some kind of oxygen deprivation.

 

            “What?”

 

            “I’ve seen Dom’s mark and it’s definitely not mine,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “It looks like a riding crop.”

 

            “Kinky,” Tony said not letting himself show how thrilled he is, knowing that asshole wasn’t another one of your soulmates.

 

            “Yep, he dabbles in the BDSM scene and likes to think himself a dominant but… the first and only time he had me to himself I had him immobile and he came in his pants. Pretty sure his soulmate is a dominatrix.”

 

            Tony cackled because come on, the irony alone was hilarious but then he realized something as he was switching lanes.

 

            “How did you immobilize him?”

 

            “I… just can, it’s like a gift. I focus and they become paralyzed.” She frowned when she realized they weren’t going towards the drop off area. “It doesn’t hurt or at least nobody has ever remarked that it does, most of the time they chalk it up to being mesmerized which is just corny but it’s better than the alternative.”

 

            “Like being ousted as a mutant.”

 

            “Yeah. Where exactly are we going?”

 

            “Well I was going to go over the contract with you while you were working but I’ve decided we can do that under the moonlight at that little park close to where I drop you off at,” he pulled into the familiar parking lot and right underneath one of the few working streetlamps.

 

            “If I didn’t know better Mr. Stark, I would think you were trying to romance me,” Dana joked.

 

            “Maybe I am. Is it working?”

 

            “... Maybe.”

 

            So they spent the next half hour sitting at a worn table with nothing but the light from Tony’s phone illuminating the pages as he discussed what everything meant, how much she would get from it, and even settled on a design concept. “Simple would be best since it’s going to be marketed towards men and women,” by the time she had signed everything – and there was a lot to sign – her wrist was stiff and her ass was numb from the uncomfortable bench.

 

            “Just one more thing, before I drop you off,” Tony told as they reached the designated corner. He reached into the glove box and pulled out a phone and handed it to her.

 

            “Tony…” there was no way she could accept something so expensive – and it was a Stark phone so it was definitely expensive – but he wouldn’t hear it.

 

            “We are partners now and partners need to stay in touch,” he told her, handing her the small box that contained a charger and the manual. “There are also a few puzzles on there for your brother; he wasn’t kidding when he said he was good at them.”

 

            “Robbie’s very smart,” she said proudly. “He’s going to achieve a lot when he grows up. More than me that’s for sure.”

 

            “Maybe, maybe not, but it’ll be because of you that he can.”

 

            “Thanks, Tony,” she reached over and hugged him and it felt so right it was almost painful letting go, but she had to and so she did and climbed out. “Goodnight!”

 

            “Good _morning_!” he waved to her, waiting until she was out of sight before driving away. He didn’t like this area but knew asking her to move was out of the question right now.

* * *

             Rumors of a miracle soulmark concealer spread quickly. Many politicians and religious leaders argued that such a thing was a disgrace, because God gave you your marks for a reason and purposely hiding them was an insult to his plan, the Chairmen of Bonds United tried to claim such a thing was illegal or unconstitutional, some members even urged people to carry around water because who knows that waiter delivering your food might be your soulmate hiding their mark. But no matter how many lawyers or church protestors there were, Liberty Cosmetics was released to the public and much to the horror of the traditionalists, it was completely waterproof. Within weeks it was dubbed the number one makeup concealer in the United States and that was looking to repeat once it was available overseas.

 

            “This is insane,” Dana remarked watching a news program declare her mother’s cover-up a miracle product. _If only you could see this Mom…_

 

            “This is the beginning of new rights for soulmates,” Tony told her, handing her a glass of cranberry juice – no alcohol because Robbie was sitting across the room. He paused when the reporters brought up a picture taken from the last charity event of him dancing with a woman in red.

 

            He invited Dana because the event was also bringing awareness to soulmate abuse and wanted Dana to get a feel for it since the two of them would be working together. That was how she met Pepper when Tony asked her to help Dana get ready and even offered to watch Robbie while the two women went shopping with his Starkcard. He should have known his assistant would pull out all the guns.

 

            He hadn’t seen Dana at all after she left with Pepper, Robbie was fast asleep at the mansion with JARVIS and even Rhodey watching over him – again, he should have realized Rhodey offered after Pepper explained who Dana and Robbie were – and just as he was starting to get bored and wondering if he could get away with one drink he saw _her_.

 

            Pepper had dressed her in a very classy red dress white lace accenting the top with short sleeves that hung over her shoulders, her hair was let down in loose waves and instead of her more natural makeup, she was wearing a bold shade of red lipstick. He didn’t even know how much he liked red until he saw her in it.

            “Mr. Stark,” Dana ignored all the other patrons and made her way to him, a fact that made him smile.

 

            “Ms. Freeborn,” he offered his arm and she took it gladly. The moved around the gala and spoke to those Tony considered decent enough – like Mr. Wayne and Dr. Strange – and tried to tactfully avoid those he would rather use for target practice with his newest thing – like Mr. Luthor and the other Dr. Strange… the psychiatrist – he also introduced her to Obadiah who apparently didn’t recognize her with clothes on.

 

            At some point, music started playing and then they were dancing, and for the first time that he could remember he was actually enjoying himself.

 

            He glanced at her; she was still staring at the television with hope and pride in her eyes. He needed to tell her the truth soon because he wasn’t sure how long he could pretend seeing her didn’t make his arc reactor feel lighter. He didn’t know if she would reciprocate, but he needed to take that chance. But first, he needed to take care of some unfinished business in the Middle East.

 

            Dana had never felt so safe before, before she was always looking over her shoulder, expecting to see a pair of dead eyes coming to finish what he started. But here with Tony, it was like being in a warm heaven that evil could never hope to reach.

* * *

            Elsewhere, a trucker spots a lone figure walking alongside a deserted road. Cautiously he stopped and glanced at what was an older man wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans and hulling a big duffle bag.

 

            “Sir?” he called out and the man stopped and turned. “Do you want a ride somewhere? The nearest rest stop is several miles ahead.”

 

            The man suddenly smiled, but there was something off about it. “If you don’t mind, I’m trying to find my daughter; I haven’t seen her in _so_ long…”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble hits.

            Summer break had started for Dana, though Robbie still had one more week to go so she took advantage of that free time and did things she normally wouldn’t be able to. First, she scrubbed the apartment from top to bottom, finding a lone sock and a few candy wrappers under the bed, and an empty box of cereal that somehow got put back in the cupboard. She even poured bleach down all the drains because last year they had huge ass roaches coming from the pipes.

 

            _Maybe it’s time to move?_ She wondered. _Somewhere… cleaner and I’m sure Robbie would appreciate having his own room._

 

            She knew she could move right now if she wanted, her least was almost up and she had already saved up a ton of money from her share with Liberty Cosmetics which was still trending on every news station. But she was scared, what if things went south and she suddenly couldn’t afford the new rent? Maybe she should wait a little longer to see what happens; maybe she should ask Tony for his advice.

 

            Speaking of Tony, Dana had decided one day to stop by his place right after dropping of Robbie and surprise him with coffee and – after texting Pepper for suggestions – his favorite pastry… because he was her friend and in many cases, her savior, and the least she could do was bring him something every once in a while, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her wanting to spend time with him.

 

            When the taxi dropped her off the inside of the house was silent, which didn’t bother her because she learned pretty quickly Tony spent most of his time in his soundproof lab. But as she made her way downstairs she heard what sounded like a struggle.

 

            “It is a tight fit, Sir,” was that JARVIS?

 

            “Hey- Ah!” that was definitely Tony.

 

            “Sir, the more you struggle the more this is going to hurt.”

 

            “Be gentle. This is my first time.”

 

            Dana froze, unsure if she wanted to go ahead and see what was going on. Tony was a grown ass man and if he wanted to have sex with his machines that was his business – and personally she thought it was better than him sleeping with another woman – but she had coffee and a fresh cinnamon roll so she cautiously peered through the – broken – glass window to find her boss suspended in the air, as his robots attempted to remove a red metal suit.

 

            Tony spotted her and froze; this was definitely not how he wanted her to find out about his new side job.

 

            “Let’s face it,” he told her. “Ask Pepper and she’ll tell you this is not the worst thing you could catch me doing.”

 

            “Well, it’s not the kinky thing I was imagining,” she quipped.

 

            “That’s not what JARVIS is for, how dare you.”

 

            “I bring caffeine and sugar.”

 

            “I love you.” Tony froze. _Shit, no- fuck!_

 

            “Thank you,” Dana seemed to not catch his horror, her cheeks only slightly pink. “I love you too.”

* * *

            Tony sat shirtless, eating his cinnamon roll while Dana rubbed a bruise salve over his aching muscles. He made sure to cover his mark because he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth yet; hell he wasn’t sure if he’ll ever be ready to tell her, it’s not like in those cliché romances where Michael Fassbender with his perfect fucking face somehow manages to seduce the woman despite his past – yes, he watched Jane Eyre. He was drunk and Pepper had it recorded damn it! – The point was Tony had no idea how to bring it up without sounding possessive or creepy.

 

            “You’re thinking too loudly, Tony,” Dana said as she gently caressed a massive bruise on his shoulder.

 

            “I don’t have a secret, crazy wife in my attic,” _What the fuck brain?!_

 

            “I don’t think you have an attic, but that’s nice to know.”

 

            Tony stared at her; most people would be disturbed or pissed at his constant and often times bizarre ramblings. Hell, even Pepper and Rhodey could only handle so much, but her? She acted like he was talking about the weather like it was… normal.

 

            “Have you started summer break yet?”

 

            “I have yes, Robbie will in a few days.”

 

            “Ever been to Disney? We should totally take him to Disney,” _And take candid photos, pull our hair out on It’s A Small World… can you sleep in the castle or is that Florida? I can totally take them to Florida for the weekend just to say we slept in a castle._

 

            “I’ve never been to any kind of amusement park, but I’m sure he’d love it,” she smiled sweetly and that basically sealed the deal. He’d figure out what the hell Obadiah is doing, give him to the authorities like that suit from SHIELD that’s been following him, and spent a weekend with Dana and Robbie riding Space Mountain.

 

            _I’ll tell her then_ he promised himself.

* * *

            _“Zelda, dear, can you take Teddy to the park for a little bit?” Dad asked, “He’s been very fussy and I need to help your mother with something.”_

 

_“Okay, Daddy,” truthfully I didn’t want to, because it was my birthday – my thirteenth birthday which is important because I’m not a child anymore I’m a teenager – and I didn’t want to spend it with my little brother who gets all the attention because he’s so smart. But I knew they were trying to be sneaky about my cake and presents, so I could put up with Teddy for a little while._

 

_The park was in the middle of the neighborhood and was pretty empty because it was kind of late, I put Teddy down and let him climb on the baby stuff, following closely in case he tripped or fell. I wonder what kind of presents I’ll get; maybe a Harry Potter book, I read some of the first one in the library and have been begging Mom to buy it for me, maybe I’ll read it to Luke and Lisa before bed._

 

_After almost an hour, I was ready to go home, I was tired of chasing Teddy around and listening to him talk on and on and why do babies say so much when they know so little?! But the closer I came to our house, the more afraid I felt… why did I feel afraid? Mom and Dad were probably waiting for me with balloons, and Luke and Lisa probably had those silly party horns. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong… cautiously I opened the door, not even bothering to knock like we’re supposed to; the living room was empty, a box of purple decorations lay tipped over._

 

_“Mom,” I called out, she knows I hate scary movies this is not a good surprise! “Dad?”_

 

_There was noise coming from the kitchen, so quietly stepped in and froze. Was that ketchup? No too dark, icing? I’ve never seen icing look so much like… blood and- oh my god… that was Lisa’s blood! My baby sister was laying on the floor stiller than I’ve ever seen her, her pretty blue dress was completely soaked and red now! Where was Luke? Where was anyone?!_

 

_“Zelda!” I jumped, who was that? Mom crawled from behind the island; a big duffle bag in her hand… her shirt wasn’t wet and red before._

 

_“Momma-”_

 

_“Go,” she gasped thrusting the bag at me, it was the family emergency bag. “Take care of your brother and go.”_

 

_“What happened, Momma? Where are Luke and Dad?”_

 

_A noise could be heard from upstairs, it sounded like something heavy hitting the floor, what sounded like footsteps started making their way towards the stairs._

 

_“Nevaeh!” Mom screeched as the footsteps got closer, she hasn’t called me that since… “Take your brother and GO!”_

 

_I had the bag and was out the door before she even finished, I don’t know where I’m supposed to go, but anywhere was better than there. I didn’t stop until I was back at the park; I spared one last glance at my home and regretted it. Standing in the front door covered in blood, staring straight at me with a look of pure hatred was my Father._

 

_“Dead men tell no tales.”_

* * *

            Dana woke with a start, at first she thought there was an earthquake until she realized it was just her. She covered her face and wept, she glanced at Robbie’s sleeping face and only saw Luke and cried some more. It was easier to look at him when he was awake; Dana and Robbie had their mother’s eyes while Luke and Lisa looked just like their dad, their dad, not Dana’s. But asleep he looked far too much like another little boy she knew.

 

            She checked the time on her phone; five-thirty on a Saturday, so early but she couldn’t stand being in bed one moment longer so she carefully climbed out and grabbed a pair of clothes before tip-toeing into the bathroom. The water was cold, it was hardly ever anything else but it woke her up the rest of the way and allowed her to think. She hadn’t had a nightmare about that day in so long even on the anniversary, so why was her brain fucking with her now? Did it think she was forgetting? As if. She’ll never forget.

 

             She scrubbed the remains of sleep off of her and after drying off dressed in a floral summer dress that hid all of her marks except for the one on her chest, which she covered makeup – and she’ll never get used to being able to just buy it in a store instead of making it herself! – And decided to start on breakfast with the TV on low. _Or maybe I should wait and see if Tony wants to go have breakfast, Robbie loves spending time with him_.

            But Tony had his own life, and truthfully he’s been behaving weird, at least in her opinion. Maybe he had a girl, like an actual girl who stayed and wore his clothes and brought him breakfast down in the lab when he was working? For some reason, that thought made Dana sad.

 

            **_“A gruesome discovery was made late last night at this truck stop just outside of Malibu, California,”_** the news reporter said. **_“Security was notified of an abandoned semi but when they went to investigate, they discovered the remains of the driver. Eyewitnesses state a second man was seen leaving the vehicle shortly after the truck arrived.”_**

 

**_“This guy – I saw him get out the driver’s side so I just assumed the truck was his – came into the store and bought some protein bars, water, and a sandwich from the deli; he looked like any other guy here but his eyes… man, his eyes were just… like he was already dead inside. You know?”_ **

 

            Dana shivered. Some people were just fucked up. She shut off the TV and was about to say fuck it and make pancakes when her phone binged. A text message from Tony inviting them out to breakfast at around eight, she couldn’t help but smile as she accepted and decided to wait waking up her brother.

* * *

            They say all great things must come to an end. Breakfast with Tony was amazing, and he promised to make good on his suggestion next week, because he was about to fix everything wrong with his company – what was wrong with it she Dana didn’t ask but trusted his judgment – however, as the day whined down and Robbie was going on and on about what was happening on TV, she suddenly felt as if she was punched in the gut.

 

            “Sissy?”

 

            A sense of dread enveloped her and she found it hard to breathe. He was here, oh god he found her he was here she needed to get out she needed to- _“GO!”_ with her mother’s voice in her head she quickly ran to the front door and made sure it was locked and that the curtains were drawn before running into the bedroom and grabbing the familiar black duffle bag that was now worn with age, she stuffed a few extra clothes in and thanked whatever deity was real she bought water and snacks that she kept in it too.

 

            “Sissy, what’s going on?” Robbie sounded worried, he can’t remember ever seeing her like this, and of course not he was always too young to remember.

 

            “We’re going to play a game, Robbie, Okay?” she ushered him into the bathroom and locked it, turning the sink on she went and pulled the window glass out – thank God for cheap landlords who don’t replace shit – and shoved the bag through. Next was her bewildered brother who thankfully didn’t ask questions. Not yet, not now. And lastly, she joined them behind the dirty apartment building.

 

            It was dark, which didn’t help her nerves as she quietly led them through the unkempt bushes and weeds. A loud crash echoed behind her and she pulled herself and her brother behind a dumpster, making sure to cover her brother’s mouth to keep him quiet. For a moment nothing happened, but a lone figure looked outside her old bathroom window and- _Oh God can he see us?_

 

            After what felt like ages, he moved away from the window, and Dana fastened the bag around her shoulder, lifted her brother in her arms, and ran. How did he know where she lived? Where was she going to go now? Tony? Tony could help her at least lay low but that would mean telling him the truth, and she didn’t think she would ever be ready for that. She ended up at the club by luck, or maybe not considering the dozen police cruisers surrounding it.

 

            “Unique,” one of the other girls called out to her, Delilah if she recalled. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

 

            “I moved on to bigger and better things,” Dana said watching the police work in a frenzy. “Drugs bust?”

 

            “No, some maniac killed Dom Walters! Killed him right at the bar with a fucking broken bottle!”

 

            “Why?”

 

            “Don’t know, he was asking around for you, I guess he was a fan. Dom got all in his face about him being your mate and that he needed to fuck off – sorry - and boom! Chaos! Psycho even attacked the bouncer as he fled but I think he’s going to pull through at least.”

 

            Dana felt as if she was dumped in ice water. He killed Dom, was it because he got in his face? Or because he thought he was her mate? Would he go after everyone she knew? Before she knew it she was running away leaving behind a shocked Delilah calling out for her, she didn’t stop even if her arms were on fire from the weight, she couldn’t go to Tony; he would be in danger if she did. She needed to leave, and go far away.

 

            “Robbie how would you like to ride a train?” she asked him, gasping for air. She hardly stopped until they reached the Amtrak station.

 

            “Where would it take us?” he asked instead, he has been remarkably quiet and she didn’t like it but there wasn’t much she could do now.

 

            “Let’s go see,” she smiled at the attendant. “What earliest train do you have available?”

 

            The woman behind the counter just stared before turning to her computer. Dana probably looked like someone who just escaped from the loony bin.

 

            “I have a room available to New York, leaves in less than an hour.”

 

            “Perfect, one adult and one child please.”

 

            The lady handed her the tickets and they quickly boarded. The room was small with a bunk bed and a chair, with a tiny bathroom. Dana sat Robbie down and made sure to lock the door, before going into the bathroom. She needed to call Tony, needed to at least say goodbye and apologize for being a crappy partner. But the phone rang and rang, and after a third attempt, she just left him a voicemail, before joining her brother on the bed.

 

            “Sissy?”

 

            “Yes?”

 

            “I don’t think I like this game.”

 

            “… Me neither Bud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That scene from Iron Man is still hilarious.


	5. STORY BEING MOVED

As of right now this story is being moved to MoonlightFable, by January 19 2020 this account will be deleted.


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